Martin Ferguson is embroiled in a public dispute with the WA branch of the maritime union.

Sally Dakis

Former federal minister Martin Ferguson has labelled a move to have him ejected from the Labor party as a "transparent" attempt to muzzle his criticism of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

The ABC understands that the ALP's WA executive last night endorsed a motion brought on by the MUA to remove Mr Ferguson, who served as resources minister under the Rudd and Gillard governments.

The union argues Mr Ferguson breached ministerial ethics by joining the advisory board of a key gas lobby group just months after retiring from politics.

Mr Ferguson, who now chairs an advisory board for the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA), has previously called for both unions and workplace laws to change in order to address rising unemployment and boost productivity.

Mr Ferguson and the WA branch of the maritime union have been embroiled in a public dispute, with the former minister calling the MUA a "job-killing" and "rogue" union earlier this year.

He said unless the unions were tackled and excessive wages reduced, more Australian jobs would go offshore.

He also said the MUA's WA branch had blocked equipment from reaching the massive Gorgon gas project, which had blown out the project's costs and timelines.

Mr Ferguson told ABC 720's Drive program today that the move to have him kicked out of the party was a transparent attempt to silence him for publicly criticising the MUA.

"It sounds to me like an old meeting of the central committee of the Soviet Union, where if you don't toe the line, they take you out the back and shoot you," he said.

"This is a put-up job, it's as transparent as anything, it's an endeavour by the MUA to silence me."